Get the salomon aero glide 3 GRVL. A much better, more responsive midsole with a better outsole and lower weight. Just a great shoe. Also pretty cheap on sale because it's the last generation model now (the v4 is VERY similar)
I love the weight and running experience of my new Adizero EVO SL shoes. (My Nike Vomero 18 are pretty comfortable but my new fave is the EVO SL)
I have been hiking and backpacking in Altra Lone Peak for years but I’m starting to RUN long runs (10-20 miles) on flatter hard-pack desert trails and I’d like to find something with cushioning yet is super light. I would like enough grip for small gravel rocks. Any suggestions? (I need a wide toe box.)
UPDATE: I ended up buying Mount to Coast H1, Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL,, Hoka Challenger 8 and Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed. I ended up keeping only the Hoka Challenger 8.
Here are my thoughts:
Adidas Terrex were interesting but too flat and didn't fit my foot at all. They are a unique shoe. I think they would be good on rocky, somewhat technical trails. Women's 8. $60 (Deal! too bad they didn't workout for me.)
Mount to Coast H1 is sturdy, the rocker is not overly pronounced, I liked the shoe BUT the upper material is really thick and made my foot hot just walking around the house for an hour. Actually, the lugs were the least pronounced of all the shoes. Women's 8.5. $153 with slight discount.
Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL is the lightest but felt sluggish running around the house but comfortable. A negative for me would be the deep cutouts in the sole, which could get gravel stuck. Women's 8.5. $150.
Hoka Challenger 8 feels more like a road shoe but the lugs are the largest. It seems the most flexible of all the shoes as far as comfort is concerned. Women's 8. $105 because they are white. (My shoes look like crap after a few runs anyway.
The Challenger doesn't seem to be as durable as either Mount to Coast nor Salomon but they felt the lightest and most comfortable overall.
For non-technical trails, you'd want to look at something like the Salomon Aero Glide 3 GRVL as a trail equivilant to the Superblast 2. The demands of technical trails preclude a shoe design like the Superblast.
Axxis09
